Hudson Library board seeks renewal plus 0.6‑mill increase, expands voting to all registered Hudson electors

Basil Masnap, president of the Hudson Library & Historical Society board, told Hudson City Council on Sept. 9 the library board intends to place a renewal of the existing 2.9‑mill levy plus a 0.6‑mill increase on the May 2026 ballot.

Masnap said the board also adopted revisions to the library’s member‑voting rules that expand voting beyond prior in‑person membership ballots to all registered electors in the City of Hudson and add a roughly three‑week early voting period while the library is open. The change follows recommendations from the Charter Review Committee and is intended to increase participation.

The board president said the proposed 3.5‑mill total would generate about $3.7 million annually and estimated the cost at $84.44 per $100,000 of home value under the library’s tax model. He noted the library receives state Public Library Fund dollars that have recently been reduced and are now line‑item appropriations rather than a percentage of state revenue, which the library said makes state funding less reliable.

Masnap said the board chose May 2026 to allow a May/November contingency: if the levy fails in May, the library could re‑run the measure in November. He described prior levies and the need to maintain operations and services after nearly a decade without a millage increase, due in part to COVID‑era decisions.

Council members asked clarifying questions about timing, who is eligible to vote under the new rules (only Hudson residents), and the library’s governance changes. The board said the recent membership vote adopted the revisions and that the board will bring finalized levy language and supporting materials to council for the legislative agenda.

Provenance: Presentation is recorded from 52:03 to 01:17:45 of the workshop (Basil Masnap remarks and Q&A).